Monday, March 23, 2009

Snowstorm in North Dakota

Another foot of snow may drop on this rectangular shape of a state tonight. Since my residency here in Jamestown, North Dakota there has been 5 days of school partially or entirely canceled, not including tomorrow and wednesday if they get canceled. often all road out of Jamestown are closed to all traffic, meaning that if you wanted to leave the city you would have to venture out in snowshoes to do so. The scary thing is that the state is also now under a flood warning, meaning that the highway back to minneasota will also be closed due to flooding. It appears that as the crazy weather conditions escalate the chances or opportunities for movement seem to slowly fade away. We are trapped. It reminds me of the hurrican katrina videos by Spike Lee and how a place you call home can so quickly also be called your coffin.

A flexible surrounding is the safest way to go. You should have exit paths, emergency plans, for travel by air, for water and by ground in the case of any number of disasters. We do not need to get anywhere, but knowing that the potential that if a major disaster would happen, Jamestown can easily be a sitting duck in the center of NoDak.

The last two days have been seriously foggy; like 'horror movie' foggy. Even in the downtown area you can barely see a few blocks down the way, and lights get distorted and muddled, as does the sounds. It creates a very surreal mood. Especially when the train comes roaring by our apartment 6 times a day, the foggy train looks just like a ghost train and the normal horns which shake the walls, now sound very odd and distant.

I keep wondering what would happen if the next storm they forecast is 16 days long, and 25 feet of snow. Could we survive, how would we manage, and what is the best plan of action? Stockpiles of food, water, and a safe warm dry location are all essential, and I think it is time for everyone to really seriously look at these threats and be prepared. Even in a flat non-coast state like North Dakota, we are getting prepared.

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